the various chances

chapter one

Lily

The man was running towards me with the bloodied knife in his hand and was screaming at the top of his voice, "You little bitch, you ruined my life and now I am going to make you pay for this." I ran, ran until my legs gave away. Finding a place to hide in my own house was a great difficulty because the man very well knew every corner of this house making it fruitless for me to hide.

I sprint into the kitchen, fish out a blade light enough for my little hands to hold, and slip inside the pantry. All that running and hiding was starting to get common. I needed to escape this place, my own house. I had to otherwise I would be killed under this madness. Millie would've wanted me to do the same. Hell, she would've wanted me to be courageous and fight for once in my life.

My 18-year-old self may have grown up to be a woman but inside I was still feeling like a damsel in distress. Squatting down, I press the blade closer to my chest and suppress myself from taking a long breath to avoid making any noise. Chanting in my mind I lock my vision on the closed pantry door through the opening revealing the area on the other side.

I had to make a decision otherwise my life ends right here. I was not going to lose someone like him. I am not like this. My mother Gemma always told me that I was stronger than the world saw me, so it was going to be now or never. The footsteps coming towards the pantry echo making me tighten my hold on the blade.

"I know you're here and I am going to get you out", the voice echoes and the steps were there right in front of my eyes, visible through the slight light coming from the gap in the closed pantry door. The rustling of the handle is heard and the next thing I know is that a scream escapes my lips and there was blood on my hands and the blade.

I wake up screaming and sweating like shit. My sleeping problems were turning me into some demon who doesn't sleep at all and when she sleeps she screams like a motherfucker. The real problem here was me, my past mistakes keep on haunting me making it difficult to keep my worries aside and have a peaceful sleep. Truth to be told, I haven't slept peacefully in the last 7 years and there was when it all started, turning my life into chaos, piling up all that guilt and regrets that I'll be carrying for the rest of my life.

Maybe I deserved it.

My phone stated 7:30 am. My not-so spring-like mattress squeaks when I wake up and walk to the bathroom. Shower and brushing my teeth later, I make my way towards the wooden cupboard I luckily have in my cheaper apartment. I had to pick some decent clothes for the interview otherwise I may screw up the only chance I have to make the money I so desperately need because working alternate shifts in some cafe and a pastry shop isn't going to help me pay my bills.

Also, every time I think about bills and all the face of my scary looking landlord crosses my mind. Wouldn't want to be thrown out of the apartment for a 3rd time, wouldn't I?

I may not spend like some rich bitch but I was lacking the basic money I'd need to pay bills of the necessities like rent of the apartment, water, electricity, and phone. Since I moved back to New York from London which was 2 years ago I've been struggling to find stable accommodation and most importantly a stable job.

But, fuck me because the one time I find a chance to have a stable job the offer straight away comes from the company I've been avoiding for the last 2 years itself. 'Langford Corporations Pvt. Ltd.' If the CEO were to be Mr. Christopher James Langford, I would've happily applied for the job but that man had to fucking hand the company to his son 2 years ago.

Fuck My Life!

If it were to be on me, I would've joined the company 3 years earlier when Mr. Langford was to be the CEO, but his son. God Help people from that grumpy asshole with god's very owned blue color of eyes with a face carved by Greek Gods with a body made from some specially curated soil of Greek God's heaven.